Folding car-step.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

0. PBPPLE.

FOLDING GAR STEP. APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1913 5 m w M W 0. PEPPLE.

FOLDING OAR STEP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7A 1913.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATIEN FTQE.

CAL" PEPPLE, OF N EW WESTON, OHIO.

FOLDING CAB-STEP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3%, 1913.

Application filed May 7, 1913. Serial No. 766,219.

' To all whom it may concern:

' flanges 19' disposed at Be it known that I, CAL PEPPLE, citizen of the United States, residing at New Weston, in the county of Darke and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inw Folding CarSteps, of which the-following is a specification.

This mvention relates to an improvement in folding car steps.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a step for railway coaches which may be folded beneath the lowermost step of the usual stair and which may be locked against movement when in either its opened or closed position.

A further object of the invention is to provide an operating mechanism which may be: conveniently manipulated fro-m the car platform, both the step and riser being folded beneath the lowermost step of the stair, whereby the outer edge of said lowermost step is unobstructed and the mechanism so positioned as to clear obstructions when the step is folded.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device arranged on the stair of a railroad coach; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation; Fig. 3 is a side elevation; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line H of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the riser of the folding step; and Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the step folded.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

In the drawings, 10 designates the stair which is supported by the car platform 11. This stair is of the usual construction, being of suchheight that in utilizing the same a stool or auxiliary step is necessary. The lowermost step 12 is formed with flanges 13 which are secured to the side portions or rails 14 of the stairway. A plurality of brackets 15 are secured to the under face of the step 12, said brackets at their outer ends being formed with pintle lugs 16 which re ceive the terminals of a shaft 17. The riser 18 of the folding step is pivotally mounted on this shaft. This riser consists of the substantially U-shaped member 18 formed with right angles to the l body portion of the member and apertured l adjacent their upper terminals to receive the shaft 17. Reinforcing plates 20 are secured to the side members 21 of the U-shaped member with which the flanges 19 are formed integral. A shaft 23 is rotatably supported by the lower terminals of the side members 21, the terminals of the shaft which enter said side members being offset. A step 2 1 is pivotally supported on this shaft. This step 24 consists of the tread portion 25, the sides of which are formed with flanges 26 through which the shaft 23 extends. The front edge of the tread portion is also provided with a flange 27. The terminals 28 of the flanges 26 extend beyond the step and are disposed to contact with the shoulder 29 of the side members 19. Thus when the riser and step are brought to a position at right angles to each other, the step will be effectually held against folding. By this construction, it will be noted that the riser may fold beneath the lowermost step, the flanges of the same being disposed adjacent the brackets 15. The flanges of the riser are spaced to a greater extent than the length of the step, and when the riser is folded beneath the lowermost step of the stair, the step 24 may be folded within the riser, the flanges of the being disposed in parallel relation. It will thus be seen that an auxiliary step is provided which, when not in use, may be folded beneath the lowermost step of the stair, whereby the outer edge of said step is unobstructed, the step being so folded as to clear obstructions.

A strap 30 is connected to each of the brackets 15, these straps being disposed adjacentthe side portions 14: of the step and extended to a point adjacent the upper portion of the stair. The terminals 31 of the straps are offsetand secured to brackets 32 which are mounted on the under face of the uppermost step 33. These brackets and the offset terminals 31 of the straps 30 form a support for the bearings 34:, the two bear- "lngs supporting a crank shaft 35. The cranks 36 of this shaft are each connected to a lever 37. The terminals 38 of these levers embrace the shaft 23 adjacent its ends, and while the crank shaft is rotated in one direction, the levers will draw the shaft 23 toward the inner edge of the lowermost step 12, thus folding the riser underneath said step. As the riser is drawn to this position,

step and riser upward and the gear 41 rotated in the opposite the step and riser.

.may be guided in its 7 When the rack bar is forced downward .ing a'pivot pin 51 which passes through the g j flange the shaft 23 will'be rotated'and the step 24 drawn up beneath the same. When the crank shaft is rotated in the other direction, the riser will be drawn to a position at right angles to the lowermost step 14, the shaft 23 being rotated as the riser is drawn to this position, and the step 24 thus disposed at right angles to the riser, it being noted that when the crank shaft 23 is locked against rotation in either direction, the step and riser are also looked against movement. The extended portions of the flanges of the step24 contact with the shoulder formed by the side portions of the riser, and it is thus prevented from moving downward when weight is applied to the same.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that by rotating the crank shaft 35, the levers 37 will be actuated to either extend or fold the step and riser. A casing 39 is supported by one of the brackets 32, there being a second bracket 40 secured to one of the side portions 14 of the stair and bolted to said cas ing. This casing forms a housing for a gear 41 which is mounted on the crank shaft 35. It will be noted that when this gear is rotated, the crank shaft will actuate the levers 37 to open and close the step. The casing is provided'with a guide way 43. A lever 44 is mounted for sliding movement in said guide-way, said lever projecting through the flange 45 of the car platform 11, the lever being formed with a rack 46 cut in one of its edges whereby the edges project beyond the rack and provide guides. This rack meshes with the teeth of the gear Wheel 41, the teeth of said gear wheel being reduced in thickness whereby the rack bar movement by its side portions which extend beyond the rack.

and the gear 41 rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, the cranks of the shaft 35 will move upwardly toward the platform'and the levers 37 will fold the step and riser beneath the lowermost step of the stair. When the rack bar is drawn direction,the cranks 36 are moved downwardly and'the levers 37 actuated to open The rack bar 44 is provided on its edge remote from the rack 46 with notches 47 and 48. A dog 49 is pivotally mounted on the casing 39, and is disposed to extend within these notches. This dog consists of a substantially U-shaped member, which embraces the casing, its side portions 50 receivcasing. One of the sides of the dog is pro- A. rod 53 is terminally connected to this extension, said rod extending through the 45 of the car platform, being looped to provide a handle 54, whereby the rod may a be actuated to move the dog on its pivot. The edge 55 of the dog is disposed to enter the slots 47 and 48, being maintained in the slots by the coiled spring 56, one terminal of which is connected to the extension 52 and the other to the casing 39. The dog is moved against the tension of the spring 56 by means of the rod 53. Thus when the lever is raised as illustrated in Fig. 3, the

dog will enter the slot 48, and the lever is locked against movement. When the lever is locked against movement, the shaft 35 will be held against rotation and the levers- 37 will maintain the step and-riser in their extended positions. hen the lever is forced downward, the dog will enter the slot 47 and the lever will be held in its lowered position, the downward movement of the lever folding the step and riser beneath the lowermost step of the stair, movement of the same being prevented when the lever is locked.

The many advantages of a construction of this character will be clearly apparent, as it will be noted that the structure is such as may be easily and economically manufactured, and that it may be readily positioned on the steps of the coach without materially altering their construction. It will also be seen that the structure may be placed in cars of any type. r

What I claim is 1. A folding car step comprising a riser pivotally mounted on the under face of the lowermost step of the car stair, said riser including spaced supporting members, a

shaft supported by said members, a step 1nounted on said shaft, and means for snnultaneously moving said step between the supporting members of the riser and moving the riser to a point beneath the first-mentioned step.

2. A. folding step comprising a pivotally supported riser, a step, said riser being of a length in excess of the step and provided between which the step is with extensions pivotally mounted, and means forsimnltaneouslyv moving the riser on its pivot anddrawing the step in contact with the riser.

3. A. folding step comprising a pivotally supported member, a shaft carried by said member, a step mounted on said shaft, means for actuating sald shaft to simultaneously impart movement to the step and riser, and means for locking said shaft against movement.

4. A. folding stepcompr'ising a substantially U-shaped riser, said U-shaped riser be ing formed with acon'tinuous flange disposed at right angles to its body portion, a step pivotally supportedbyisaid flange and.

disposed to beembraced by said flange, and

means mentto said user and step. 7

for simultaneously imparting move prising brackets supported on the lowermost step of the coach, a shaft supported by said brackets, a U-shaped member mounted on said shaft, a shaft supported by said U-shaped member, a step mounted on said shaft, levers connected to said shaft, a crank shaft supported by one of the steps of the coach, a gear mounted on said crank shaft, a casing forming a housing for said gear, a rack bar supported for sliding movement by the casing, said bar meshing with said gear, a dog pivotally supported on the casing, said dog being disposed to enter notches formed in the rack bar, and means for actuating said dog.

6. A folding step comprising a pivotally supported riser,

a step pivotally connected to theriser, and means for simultaneously moving the riser on its pivot and drawing the step in contact with the riser.

7. A folding car-step comprising a riser pivotally mounted on the under face of the lowermost step of the car-stair, a shaft pivotally supported on said riser, a step mounted on said shaft, and means for simultaneously folding said step on the riser and drawing the step and riser beneath the lowermost step of the car stair.

8. A folding car-step comprising a riser pivotally supported on the under face of the lowermost step of the car stair, said riser consisting of a U-shaped frame including side-members, a step pivotally supported between said side members, and means for simultaneously folding the step within said U-shaped frame and drawing-the same in contact with the lowermost step of the car stair.

9. A folding car step comprising a U- shaped member constituting a riser pivotally mounted on the lowermost step of the car stair, the riser including side portions provided with inwardly disposed flanges, a step pivotally supported on the lower terminals of said side members, means for extending said step in a plane parallel with the lowermost step of the car stair, the extensions of said step contacting with the inwardly disposed flanges of the riser when in its extended position.

10. A folding car step comprising a U- shaped frame constituting a riser, said frame including side portions, bearings supported on the lowermost step of the car stair, a shaft supported by said bearings and extending through the side portions of the riser, a step, a shaft having its terminals offset and projecting through flanges carried bythe step and the side portions of the riser, levers connected to said shaft, and means for actuating said levers to fold the step on the riser and drawing the riser in contact with the lowermost step of the car stair.

11. A folding car step comprising a U- shaped frame constituting a riser, said frame including side portions, a shaft formed with offset terminals which extend through said side portions, a step pivotally mounted on said shaft, means for moving said shaft toward the lowermost step of the car stair, said means rotating the shaft to fold the step within the U-shaped frame which constitutes the riser.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. CAL PEPPLE. [L- s] Witnesses G. WV. MYERs, WVM. BRooM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

